...to think that this story vindicates the vipers who post LTB?

So often on Relationships women post about scraping by while partners fritter unexplained amounts of money on this and that.

Suggestions that it might be grounds to end the relationship get shouted down.

In court in Cambridge....

"Duffy had told police he had funded his drug habit through his brick laying wage, for which he earned £600 per month.

He kept this a secret from his partner, with who he has two children, and instead they used money from her benefits to cover their living costs.He added: “He said he was spending £300 on cocaine every two weeks. He explained his partner received benefits of about £300 per fortnight which covers bills, rent and food."

Is it wrong to hope she leaves him for stuffing money that could have provided for his family up his nose instead?

He's spending £300 per fortnight on cocaine, which is coincidentally what she gets in benefits and also what he earns. So if you can afford to stuff that up your nose, then the benefit system is too generous by about £300 a fortnight.

YANBU. However, the case you describe is quite extreme. When it is less clear that someone should probably 'LTB' is when there has been nothing as serious or obvious as theft, fraud, drug habits, violence or whatever. Sometimes a relationship just spirals into the dirt and everyone in it is miserable but no-one has the guts to end it or (especially in the case of women) they think it would be selfish to call time. Sometimes it's the 'LTB' perspective of others that allows someone to give themselves permission to get out.

Different or selfish attitudes to finance are a big cause of relationship breakdown but it's not always so clear cut as your financially abusive example. How often have you had someone complain to you IRL that their partner is rubbish with money or regards the money they earn as 'their money'? Should they 'LTB' on the strength of that alone? How about if they discover an unpaid credit card bill or that the partner has spent the mortgage money on a new laptop? LTB then?